Whittier Weekly Newsletter
April 11, 2021
Looking forward
Dear Whittier Families,
We are getting ready to start the fourth quarter of this school year. With it, we have 70 additional students coming to school in person this week for hybrid learning. For some of these children, our kindergarten and pre-k students, it will be their first time in school in their lives. For others, it will be their first day at Whittier Elementary School. For some, it will be their first time physically in school since March 13, 2020. And for some of our students, they will continue to access learning virtually through the end of this school year. ALL of our students are important to us, and we want to work hard together with you to ensure their success in learning, and provide the social and emotional supports to make this happen.
I am frequently reminded that we have been through many, many changes this past year. Each time that a schedule or process changes, we always return to the most important aspect of any school - creating a culture of belonging and connection. When that is in place, learning can then happen. It is the foundation of what a great school is built on. Because of this, the connection that you have with your child's teachers, counselors, and other school staff is of critical importance. I want to thank you for so many things that you have done this year, but especially for these two:
- collaborating and communicating with your child's teacher to support learning
- ensuring that your child attends class every day, whether virtual or in-person, ready to learn.
The next portion of our school year is so critical. If we make every day and every moment of every day in learning truly count, we have the ability to emerge from this experience of the past year strong, resilient, and better in many ways. Let's encourage each other to finish strong.
As always, your child's teacher is the first point of contact for any specifics about learning schedules and routines for class. Our teachers and our families are all carrying enormous burdens - the communication and understanding that you've worked so hard to develop and maintain will serve us well in the last quarter of of the school year.
Our front office staff are here to assist our staff and families in any way. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.
Below, especially for families who are sending their students in-person for the first time, you will find some resources to let you know about arrival and dismissal procedures, health and safety information, transportation, and school meals.
With my kindest regards,
Lorcan OhEithir, Principal
Book of the Week from Ms. Dattoli
Tuesday, April 6th: Reading Takes Us Places!
Read Aloud: Journey by Aaron Becker
Wednesday, April 7th: Reading Makes Us Bright!
Read Aloud: Actual Size by Steve Jenkins
Thursday, April 8th: Reading Gives Us Character!
Read Aloud: We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems
Friday, April 9th: Reading Gives Us Superpowers!
Read Aloud: Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey
Library Book Exchange
Library Book Exchange News!
Virtual students:
If your child would like to check out library books, please complete the permission form and help them place up to 3 holds in LS2PAC on books they’d like in LS2PAC by 4pm Sun. April 11th. (That's today)
Book Pick Up is between 3:00-4:00pm on Wed., April 14th in the front of the school. Please pull up to return their library books and pick up your bag of new library books. Masks are required. If families are unable to pick up at this date and time, they can pick up books from the front office between 8:30-4:00 on either Thurs. the 15th or Fri. the 16th. Here is the schedule for upcoming dates for holds and pick up.
Cohort A and B students:
If your child would like to check out library books, they will need to place their holds in LS2PAC by 4:00pm Wed., April 14th. Ms. Dattoli will check out the books to your child and deliver them to their classroom from April 19-23. Students will return their old books in their classroom bin. Here is the schedule for upcoming dates for holds and deliveries.
Questions? Email Ms. Dattoli at tina.dattoli@fcps.org.
Counselor's Corner with Mrs. Reese and Mrs. Leatherman
Mental Health Matters Campaign is coming up the Week of May 2nd – May 8th, 2021.
At Whittier, we will be acknowledging this important campaign.
Whittier will be celebrating a spirit week and will announce the themes in next week’s newsletter.
Counseling Lessons for April: We will be coming into your child’s classrooms - both virtually and hybrid in the next few weeks to continue our Leader in Me and Counseling lessons.
Grades K-2: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. We will be focusing on Tolerance and Accepting Differences.
Grades 3-5: Seek first to Understand, then to be Understood. We will be learning more about Diversity, Tolerance and Acceptance- These important themes may invite conversation. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions.
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Student Small Groups Schedule: Our small groups will continue to meet virtually during hybrid. The virtual schedule for groups is posted on the Counselor’s Corner Schoology Page.
HYBRID Mrs. Leatherman's Google Meet Codes
Hybrid Schedule: Mrs Reese's Groups
Please do not hesitate to contact us on our Schoology Counselor’s Corner or by phone or email .
We continue to support the Social Emotional Well being of all Whittier Students.
Mrs Leatherman 240-236-3135 Kirsten.Leatherman@fcps.org
Mrs Reese: 240-236-3170 Lisa.Reese@fcps.org
Upcoming Dates
Now - Enroll for Pre-K and Kindergarten for the coming year: Enroll Here
PTA Clubs: Whittier PTA is offering 4 opportunities for students to participate in afterschool clubs. All options are virtual and run by the independent companies sponsoring them. Please see this attached flier for more information. Whittier PTA Club Flier
May 2nd-May 8th: Mental Health Matters Campaign - details in Counselor's Corner below
Materials Pickup: If you missed materials pick-up last Thursday, please come by or call the front office to arrange for pick-up. This is for students in grades Pre-k through 3.
Getting to and From School
Grades K-5
Arrival is from 8:30-8:55 am
Dismissal is between 2:00-2:30 pm
Pre-K
Morning Pre-K: 9:00 -11:30 (arrive between 8:30-8:55 if hybrid)
Afternoon Pre-K: 11:30-2:00 (arrive at 11:30 and depart at 2:00 if hybrid)
Full Day Pre-K: arrive between 8:30-8:55 and depart at 2:00)
Arrival
- Car rider line begins at 8:30
- Please have your child ready to EXIT the car when you stop (backpack, mask, and coat ready). Students should be able to exit the car on their own.
- Car rider line ends at 8:55
- If you arrive at school after 8:55 please park your car and walk your child to the front doors.
- Due to virtual learning beginning at 9:00 we do not have the staff to supervise children in the parking lot after 8:55.
For families whose students will be bus riders, please go online to find your child's specific pick-up time, location, and Bus assignment.
Bus Stop Information
https://www.fcps.org/transportation/bus-stop-information-online
Please also review bus expectations with your student before they board the bus. These may be found HERE.
Video with Narration Explaining Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Enlarge images below for maps of drop-off and pick-up locations
WhES Arrival and Dismissal Locations
Car Riders - Grades k-5
Car-riders Pre-K (and older siblings) & Bus riders
Enlarge this image for walker entrances and exits
Health and Safety Information - Please Review Carefully
Daily COVID-19 Screening
FCPS is asking for your help keeping all our schools and communities safe. Please review the list of COVID-19 symptoms below with your student prior to leaving for school every day. You will be provided a weekly communication reminder of this requirement. Students who are ill or are experiencing symptoms are expected to remain at home.
Parents/Guardians are affirming and attesting to the following for their student:
(a) Your student has not tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 10 days, or in the last 14 days had any close and prolonged contact ( * within 6 feet for 15 minutes or greater) with anyone who is either confirmed or suspected of being infected with COVID-19, AND
(b) Your student is not currently experiencing or displaying, and your student has not in the last 10 days met the criteria for a person experiencing a COVID-19-like-Illness:
Any 1 of the following: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new loss of taste or
smell;
OR
At least 2 of the following:
- Fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) or higher
- Chills or shaking chills
- Muscle aches
- Sore Throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting, or
- Diarrhea
If the answer is YES to any of the above statements, your student should not come to school.
Please contact your healthcare provider with any questions regarding next steps for your
student.
Thank you for your cooperation.
* 15 minutes of close contact in a cumulative 24-hour period
Safety Measures:
Mask Expectations: Everyone in the school building will wear a face covering while at school. The information linked here is intended to provide clarity about the FCPS requirements for wearing face coverings in school buildings.
Virtual Attendance in the Event of Mild Symptoms: If students are experiencing any symptoms of illness, they should stay home and parents should follow up with their child's health care provider. Students are encouraged to attend virtually any day they are not in school if they feel well enough to do so (even if it is a day for which they are scheduled to be in person).
Please provide a note if your child is not able to attend in person or virtually due to illness.
E-mail your student’s teacher AS WELL AS the Whittier Attendance email address (WHES.Attendance@fcps.org) so we can keep track of student absences.
Close Contact and Quarantine Details for Parents - What to Expect: When a positive COVID-19 case is confirmed, FCPS will conduct a case investigation to determine if there was any close contact with other individuals. Close contact means that an individual was within six feet for a prolonged period of more than a cumulative of fifteen minutes over a 24-hour period. All identified close contacts will be immediately notified and asked to quarantine for ten days and monitor for potential symptoms. If the close contact becomes symptomatic, the individual should seek assistance from their healthcare provider.
Quarantine means:
- Stay home except to obtain medical care.
- Your child may not participate in any in person school activities.
- Avoid public spaces and practice physical distancing of six feet or more from other people.
- Wear a mask at all times around other people.
Monitoring means:
- Watch for fever. Check temperature twice a day, at least 6 hours apart and record in a log.
- If your student or anyone else in the household develops symptoms such as a fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pains, sore throat, or a new loss of taste or smell, contact your healthcare provider immediately.
For further details, the FCPS guidance for Student Health and Safety and COVID-19 Response Plan can be found at this link.
Reducing Visitors to the School Building: For the protection of our staff and students, we will significantly limit visitors in the building. If you need to speak with administration or with someone at the school, please call the office in advance (most meetings will be held via phone or Google Meet). All students are afforded access to a free breakfast and lunch each day, so there should be minimal need for food to be dropped off for students. If you need to drop off or pick up anything else at school, you will be asked to leave it or pick up in the vestibule (thus limiting traffic in our front office).
Cleaning of Materials for Parents: FCPS schools will follow strict cleaning and disinfecting protocols for school buildings that include an emphasis on high touch surfaces such as door knobs, light switches, sinks and restroom fixtures. Schools have developed routines to significantly reduce and often eliminate the use of any shared materials through individual kits of materials appropriate to grade level or specific content classes for students. Students will be required to wash their hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer on a frequent basis.
With very few exceptions (e.g. library books), materials that are brought home with students will be used exclusively by that student and kept in near proximity to them all day while at school. This exclusive use greatly reduces the need for any specialized cleaning by parents.
If parents wish to take additional steps to support their student (s) at home with cleaning of materials, the following is advised:
- Wiping off hard surface manipulatives (e.g. math tiles) with a microfiber towel or paper towel after each use.
- Laying out paper materials in a single layer overnight after use and putting these paper materials back into their student's backpack the next morning before school.
Further information on cleaning and disinfecting your home is available through the Center for Disease Control (CDC) at this link.
Attendance
Communication is Key
Please provide a note if your child is not able to attend in person or virtually due to illness.
E-mail your student’s teacher AS WELL AS the Whittier Attendance email address (WHES.Attendance@fcps.org) so we can keep track of student absences.
Meals at School (Hybrid students) & Food Availability (Virtual students)
Hybrid Meals-(Students in the building)
ALL students attending hybrid face to face learning will be offered a free breakfast, lunch and to-go supper. No action is needed on families' part to enroll. This is provided to all students. Menus can be accessed using this link and my clicking- elementary schools/Whittier: https://www.fcpsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=1496937421390&page=menus
**If your student is planning to access breakfast, lunch, or a to-go supper please review the menus and talk about their choices ahead of time. Each morning, on the way to class, students will be offered a to-go breakfast. School staff will take lunch orders for students in the morning and these will be delivered to classrooms at lunchtime. Students will also be asked if they wish to take a to-go supper. These will be delivered to classrooms before dismissal for students to take home. If you would prefer that your student does not access some or all of the meal choices, that's perfectly ok. Students may bring lunch from home if that is the family's preference.
**For our young students, consider packing items that your students can open independently - items like Gogurt, Capri-sun, and Lunchables can be a real challenge for little ones to open without help. We will, of course, assist as needed, but would like to significantly limit this need.
Breakfast Menu April (served on arrival at entrances)
Lunch Menu April (delivered to classrooms)
Supper To-Go Menu April 13-25 (delivered to classrooms before dismissal)
To-Go Meals-(Families accessing Virtual learning)
Food and Nutrition Services is providing FREE to-go breakfast, lunch and supper. Any child 18 years old or younger can get meals. We also provide meals to adults older than 18 who are enrolled in a program at FCPS for persons with disabilities. Meals are distributed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11am-1pm through February 12. Starting February 16th, meals will be provided in school to all students in school buildings and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11am-1pm at select locations listed on the welcome page. Breakfast, lunch and supper is provided for all 7 days of the week. Weekend education enrichment activities can be found on the supper menus as well as our welcome page.
Water Bottles: All students who are attending in person hybrid instruction may bring a refillable water bottle labeled with their first and last name. FCPS water fountains will be used for the sole purpose of filling water bottles at school as needed.
Whittier Elementary School - Believe, Achieve, Succeed
We will also communicate through our school website
Follow me on Twitter @fcpsOhEithir where I will communicate school news and happenings
Email: lorcan.oheithir@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/whes/home
Location: 2400 Whittier Drive, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
Phone: (240) 236 3100
Twitter: @fcpsOhEithir